Improvement in machines for charging fire-works



2 Sheets-Sheen l T. SGHARFENBERG.

Charging Fire-Works. V 111044.662. v Patented 001;. 11. 1864.

' N. PETERS. FHOTO-LITHOGR 2 Shets-Sheelz 2. T. SGHARFENBERG. I

Charging Fire-Works.

Patented Oct. 11, 1864.

vertical position.

NITED STATES THEODOR SOHARFENBERG, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR CHARGING FIRE-WORKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4 1,662, dated October 11, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LTanonon SCHARFEN- BERG, of Brooklyn, in'the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Charging Fire- Works; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, figures, and letters of refer ence thereon, making part of this specification.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side view. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show the hopper in detail. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 show the ordinary method of making fire-works.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.

Prior to the date of my invention fire-works have been made by hand, each piece being charged separately.

The ordinary method is as follows: To make a rocket, the workman takes a spindle, 2, secured to a block, 1, Fig. 6, which spindle is made of proper size at the base to fit the case 3, Fig. 8. The case is then filled with clay, p, at its lower end, to form the choke, and placed upon the spindle 2, which holds it in a The tube or case 3 is then filled with composition by a small scoop, and rammed down by a hollow driver, 4, Fig. 7, until the tube is sut'ficiently charged. The upper part of the tube is then choked off with clay, as shown in the blue color, except a small hole, which communicates with the star composition, 1, (shown in red,) and the head is then sealed over, and the rocket is ready for the stick to guide it in its flight.

My invention obviates the slow and tedious process of hand-work; and it consists, first, in combining with a series of spindles arranged upon a bed a guide-plate which shall'insure a proper position of the tube for and during the process of charging, as will be fully set forth.

The second part of my invention consists in combining with a series of spindles, tubes, guide-plate, and rammers a weight or driver to drive the composition into the tubes, as will be more fully set forth.

The third part of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the hopper, having double slides and provided with two sets of tubes, for measuring and filling the tubes to be charged with composition, as will be fully described hereinafter.

To enableothers skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the construction and operation thereof.

A represents the base or bed, to which are secured two uprights, B, secured at the top by a cross-bar, O, as plainly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I) is the bed, to which the spindles a a are secured. E E are posts which support the guide-plate F. G is a block, (to which are secured the rammers c 0,) which slides by means of the grooved ears H H upon the ways I. J is a weighted box, arranged to slide upon the ways by the ears 0 e, to force the composition into the tubes. K is a cord for raising the box J. L is a cord attached to a catch spring, M, which holds the box J in position.

In Fig. 3, 5 represents a hopper, which is provided with as many holes as there are spindles for rockets or other works in the machine. This hopper slides on a plate in grooves or Ways, and is kept in place by a spring, 1, which plate has a series of holes, is, of the same or nearly the same size as the hopper-bottom. To this plate I secure tubes m m, the lower ends of which are secured to a plate, 6, as shown in Fig. 4.. Directly below plate 6 and sliding in grooves is a plate, 7, which has a series of tubes, an, made slightly conical, as shown in Fig. 4.

Operation The workman takes the propershaped spindles a a for whatever be may wish to make, (the drawings show rockets,) and places them in the bed D, Fig. 1, and then inserts the tubes 1) b, which have been previously filled with clay, as shown at p, in blue, to form the choke upon the spindles at the lower end, the upper ends of the tubes being held in the guide-plate F. The weight J is then raised, the ears 0 a sliding on the ways I I until the spring M secures it in the position shown in Fig. l. The plate G is then raised up and held in place by a pin, h, passing through the upright post B. The hopper 5 is then filled with composition, and is then passed between the upright posts B B and the ends of the conical tubes at n inserted in the rocket-tubes b b. The hopper is then moved to bring the holes j and 7c in range, which fills the tubes m m, and, When full, the hopper is forced back to its original position by the spring I, and the tubes at m are full of composition between the two plates. The plate 7 is now pushed by the handle 8 until the tubes at m and n a are in range, when the composition drops into the tubes b b, and the springo returns the sliding plate 7. The hopper is then removed and the pin h Withdrawn, which allows the block G, with the rammers 0 c, to descend and partially drive down the composition. The cord L, being pulled, releases the spring M from contact with the weight-box J, and it drops and drives home the composition. The block G is provided with cushions d (I, of leather, rubber, or other sound-deadening material, to prevent noise or injury to the plate Gr.

As a convenient means of removing and changing the ranlmer-block G, I pivot the guides or ways I at i, as shown in Fig. 2, so that when turned the block can be readily removed. When the'ways I are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, the bevel strikes the upper guide at f, and is held in place by pins 9, passing through the upright B.

It will be obvious to any one skilled in the art that my machine may be used with equal facilityfor nearly all kinds of fire-works, always adapting the spindles, tubes, and ram mers to the machine.

I claiml. Oonibinin g with-a series of spindles, a a, arranged upon a bed-plate, the guide-plate F, to insure a proper position of the tubes 1) b during the process of charging with composition, substantially as described and specified.

2. Combining with a series of spindles, a a, tubes b b, guide-plate F, and rammers 0 c the weight or driver J, arranged to drive the composition into the tubes b I), substantially as described.

3. The construction and arrangement of the hopper, having double slides, and provided with two sets of tubes, at and n, for charging the tubes of fire-works with composition, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

THEODOR SCI'IA RFENBERG.

Witnesses:

O. A. DURGIN, J. W. HADFIELD. 

